Method and device for theft and stalker protection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12354451-B2
Application number	US-202318132881-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 10, 2023
Priority date	Apr 26, 2022
Publication date	Jul 8, 2025
Grant date	Jul 8, 2025

Abstract

A method of determining an appropriate tracking device response scheme includes obtaining, from a tracking device, a tracking parameter indicative of the tracking device being within a vicinity of the user equipment. The method determines, based on the tracking parameter, a verification parameter indicative of an identity associated with the user equipment. The method determines whether the verification parameter meets a verification criterion indicative of a stalker tracking device. In accordance with a determination that the verification parameter meets the verification criterion, the method applies a stalker response scheme.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of determining an appropriate tracking device response scheme, performed by a user equipment, the method comprising:
obtaining, from a tracking device, a tracking parameter indicative of the tracking device being within a vicinity of the user equipment;
determining, based on the tracking parameter, a verification parameter indicative of an identity associated with the user equipment;
determining whether the verification parameter meets a verification criterion indicative of a stalker tracking device, wherein the verification criterion is whether the identity associated with the user equipment has opted-in to a stalker response scheme;
in accordance with a determination that the verification parameter meets the verification criterion, applying a stalker response scheme; and
in accordance with a determination that the verification parameter does not meet the verification criterion, applying a theft response scheme.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein determining whether the verification parameter meets the verification criterion comprises:
receiving second device identification data indicative of an identity associated with a second user equipment.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein determining whether the verification parameter meets the verification criterion comprises:
obtaining a lost parameter indicating that the tracking device has been lost;
in accordance with a determination that the lost parameter is indicative of the tracking device being lost, determining that the verification parameter meets the verification criterion; and
transmitting device identification data indicative of the identity associated with the user equipment to a second user equipment associated with the tracking device.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein determining whether the verification parameter meets the verification criterion comprises:
obtaining a secondary tracking parameter indicative of one or more secondary tracking devices in the vicinity of the tracking device; and
in accordance with the secondary tracking data meeting an item threshold parameter, determining that the verification parameter does not meet the verification criterion.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein determining whether the verification parameter meets the verification criterion comprises:
obtaining a stored movement parameter indicative of stored movement of the tracking device;
determining a movement parameter indicative of movement of the tracking device; and
in accordance with a determination that the movement parameter meets, based on the stored movement parameter, a movement criterion, determining that the verification parameter meets the verification criterion.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein obtaining the stored movement parameter comprises:
obtaining, from a user of the tracking device, user input indicative of the stored movement;
wherein obtaining the stored movement parameter is based on the user input.

7. The method according to claim 5 , wherein obtaining the stored movement parameter comprises:
determining, from a user of the tracking device, based on previous tracking device movement, a user profile of the user;
wherein obtaining the stored movement parameter is based on the user profile.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein determining the verification parameter comprises:
obtaining, from an intermediary, a verification status;
wherein determining the verification parameter is based on the verification status.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein obtaining the tracking parameter comprises:
obtaining the tracking parameter on a non-standardized protocol.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein determining whether the verification parameter meets the verification criterion comprises:
transmitting device identification data indicative of the identity associated with the user equipment to a second user equipment associated with the tracking device.

11. A user equipment comprising:
memory circuitry;
a wireless interface; and
processor circuitry, wherein the processor circuitry is configured to:
obtain, from a tracking device, a tracking parameter indicative of the tracking device being within a vicinity of the user equipment;
determine, based on the tracking parameter, a verification parameter indicative of an identity associated with the user equipment;
determine whether the verification parameter meets a verification criterion indicative of a stalker tracking device, wherein the verification criterion is whether the identity associated with the user equipment has opted-in to a stalker response scheme;
in accordance with a determination that the verification parameter meets the verification criterion, apply a stalker response scheme; and
in accordance with a determination that the verification parameter does not meet the verification criterion, apply a theft response scheme.

12. The user equipment according to claim 11 , wherein to determine whether the verification parameter meets the verification criterion comprises to:
transmit device identification data indicative of the identity associated with the user equipment to a second user equipment associated with the tracking device.

13. The user equipment according to claim 11 , wherein to determine whether the verification parameter meets the verification criterion comprises to:
receive second device identification data indicative of an identity associated with the second user equipment.

14. The user equipment according to claim 11 , wherein to determine whether the verification parameter meets the verification criterion comprises to:
obtain a lost parameter indicating that the tracking device has been lost;
in accordance with a determination that the lost parameter is indicative of the tracking device being lost, determine that the verification parameter meets the verification criterion; and
transmit device identification data indicative of the identity associated with the user equipment to a second user equipment associated with the tracking device.

15. The user equipment according to claim 11 , wherein to determine whether the verification parameter meets the verification criterion comprises to:
obtain a secondary tracking parameter indicative of one or more secondary tracking devices in the vicinity of the tracking device; and
in accordance with the secondary tracking data meeting an item threshold parameter, determine that the verification parameter does not meet the verification criterion.

16. The user equipment according to claim 11 , wherein to determine whether the verification parameter meets the verification criterion comprises to:
obtain a stored movement parameter indicative of stored movement of the tracking device;
determine a movement parameter indicative of movement of the tracking device; and
in accordance with a determination that the movement parameter meets, based on the stored movement parameter, a movement criterion, determine that the verification parameter meets the verification criterion.

17. The user equipment according to claim 16 , wherein to determine the stored movement parameter comprises to:
obtain, from a user of the tracking device, user input indicative of the stored movement;
wherein to determine the stored movement parameter is based on the user input.

18. The user equipment according to claim 16 , wherein to determine the stored movement parameter comprises to:
determine, from a user of the tracking device, based on previous t

Assignees

• Sony Group Corp

Inventors

• Wadman Johan
• Ljung Peter

Classifications

• G06F21/88

  Detecting or preventing theft or loss · CPC title

• H04W12/71

  Hardware identity · CPC title

• H04W12/126

  Anti-theft arrangements, e.g. protection against subscriber identity module [SIM] cloning · CPC title

• H04W12/63

  Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent · CPC title

• G08B21/0269

  System arrangements wherein the object is to detect the exact location of child or item using a navigation satellite system, e.g. GPS · CPC title